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US 6,144,471 AGranted
Optical transmission system
AssigneeAlcatel
InventorsRudolf Eyberg, Volker Hagele
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeAlcatel
InventorsRudolf Eyberg, Volker Hagele
Estimating the term…
A system (SYS) for optically transmitting information, e.g., television signals, from a subcenter (HUB), e.g., a cable television head end, over a passive optical distribution network to a plurality of optical network units (ONU) includes a plurality of nodes (K1, . . . , Km) for optically transmitting further information, e.g., telephone signals, and a plurality of optical couplers (C1, C2). The further information of each node (K1, . . . , Km) is fed via a respective coupler (C1, C2) into a transmission line connected to only part of the plurality of optical network units (ONU), e.g., to only one optical network unit (ONU). Each optical network unit (ONU) is connected to a group of customer locations (END) and, for the transmission of information from this group of customer locations (END), via a further passive optical distribution network to a node (K1, . . . , Km). Each node (K1, . . . , Km,) includes means for separating the information received from the customer locations into, e.g., interactive request signals and telephone signals. The interactive request signals are routed to the subcenter (HUB), and the telephone signals to a telephone network (NET).
A system (SYS) for optically transmitting information from a subcenter (HUB) over a plurality of optical transmission lines to a plurality of optical network units (ONU), the system (SYS) comprising at least one means (K1, . . . , Km) for optically transmitting further information and at least one optical coupler (C1, C2, SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5, SP6, SP7), the further information of each of the means (K1, . . . , Km) being fed via a respective one of the optical couplers (C1, C2, SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5, SP6, SP7) into an optical transmission line connected to only part of the plurality of optical network units (ONU), characterized in that an optical signal distribution unit (VER) is provided for combining the information (CATV) and the further information (CABLE, NVOD, VOD) and then transmitting it together to the respective part of the plurality of optical network units (ONU), that the optical signal distribution unit (VER) comprises at least three optical couplers (SP1, SP2, SP3), at least two (SP2, SP3) of which have two input ports and two output ports, that the information (CATV) is applied to one (SP1) of the at least three optical couplers (SP1, SP2, SP3) which is connected to two of the at least two optical couplers (SP2, SP3) with two input ports, and that the further information (CABLE, VOD) is applied to at least one of the at least two optical couplers (SP2, SP3) with two input ports in order to combine it with the information (CATV) from the subcenter (HUB).
An optical signal distribution unit (VER) for an optical transmission system (SYS) for transmitting at least three different types of information (CATV, CABLE1, CABLE2), comprising at least three optical couplers (SP1, SP2, SP3), at least two (SP2, SP3) of which have two input ports and two output ports, that a first type of information (CATV) is applied to one (SP1) of the at least three optical couplers (SP1, SP2, SP3) which is connected to two of the at least two optical couplers (SP2, SP3) with two input ports, that a second type of information (CABLE, NVOD, VOD) is applied to at least one (SP2) of the at least two optical couplers (SP2, SP3) with two input ports to combine it with the first type of information (CATV), and that a third type of information (CABLE, NVOD, VOD) is applied to at least one (SP3) of the at least two optical couplers (SP2, SP3) with two input ports to combine it with the first type of information (CATV).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.